Even The Strong Will Fall
by Sav-the-Bassist
Summary: Dark of the Moon: Will Lennox witnesses the death of his guardian Autobot.


**_A/N: Just watched Dark of the Moon for the third time, and I still can't believe that when Ironhide died Will Lennox didn't even notice... This is what should have happened! I freakin' cried while writing this! :'(_**

It didn't make sense. _Sentinel Prime was on our side, wasn't he?_ The thoughts flooded Will Lennox's mind as he heard the gunfire and explosions of the past Prime's betrayal. Towering Autobots race past him, some with visible energon-leaking wounds, others clutching their weapons with expressions as confused as Will's.

They were all equally surprised by this. As each Autobot passed him by, both alt. and bipedal mode, he noticed that a certain individual was yet to be seen. _Where was Ironhide?_ Lennox never let negative thoughts cross his mind, especially when it came to his large friend. He knew that the mech could take care of himself, yet the human mind was good at producing the "what if" thoughts.

Lennox had to know. A silver mech passed him. "Where's 'Hide?" he called.

Sideswipe's battle-ready expression disappeared. "He was the first to take a hit from Sentinel, but everything happened so fast...suddenly we were all runnin', and I supposed that he was too."

Lennox's thoughts darkened to a more foreboded tone, and he nodded and the silver mech continued on his way. He then ran in the direction that they were leaving from.

The black-alloyed Cybertronian lay on the ground. A rusty substance was on his hands, and it seemed to be slowly spreading.

"'Hide!" Lennox yelled. Ironhide looked in the soldiers direction from the ground. He had never seen the mech like this before. His expression was weary and defeated. That wasn't the Ironhide he knew, to give up.

"_Will_..." Ironhide said. His voice was already cracking with static.

Lennox examined the mass of energon-covered metal that made up his torso. Vital Cybertronian organs were visible, and they too had the rust-like substance on them.

"What is this stuff..." Lennox asked.

"Somethin' like cosmic rust..." Ironhide didn't have to say any more, Lennox had already heard of the fatal Cybertronian epidemic. "Sentinel must have weaponized it, the son of a glitch..." He trailed off and looked upward as if he was beginning to zone out.

Lennox snapped his fingers and the weapon specialist looked back at him. "Where's Ratchet?"

"That medic can't do nothin'..." Ironhide then harshly coughed. "Y'know how this rust ends up...ain't no cure... In a few minutes I'll be a pile of rusty scrap."

"Then I guess I'll be with you for those remaining minutes," Lennox said.

"You ain't like those other humans..." Ironhide said. "You actually care... The way those other humans look at us, like we're just weapons or machines... You look at us differently, like equals..."

"Those sorry people never got to know you, that's why." Lennox patted Ironhide's shoulder, which was now covered with rust. "They sure missed out too."

Ironhide grimaced and he growled as his rusted hand disintegrated into dust.

"Primus..." he muttered.

Lennox looked at the pile of dust, sorry for the mech. Ironhide didn't deserve his final moments to be in a slow painful death. Hell, _none_ of the Autobots did.

He had to change the subject, to get the Autobot's mind off of the pain.

"Annabelle is now walking..." he said.

It seemed to work, because his optics lit up to a lighter shade of blue. Lennox knew that would get his attention, the mech had always been fascinated by his daughter. "Last time I saw her she had to prop herself up on my foot..."

"Yep, she's doin' it all on her own now..."

Ironhide rested his head down on the asphalt and smiled. Energon was starting to drip out of the corners of his mouth, and his torso was already showing signs of disintegration... but he didn't seem to notice.

"You'll tell her 'bout me, right?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

Lennox had never known a Cybertronian to cry, and he especially didn't expect Ironhide to be the first one to do it in front of him. "I wanted to watch her grow up..."

Lennox placed his hand on the mech's scarred cheek, which was now damp with the purple-transparent tears. "I'll protect her... like you protected me."

Ironhide's entire arm was now a rusty dust, and the rust had also spread to his other arm and legs already. The brightness of his optics was beginning to flicker.

"Promise me...that you'll...protect her..." Ironhide said, pain audible in his voice. He turned his head to look directly at Lennox. His neck was now covered with the rust too.

"I promise, 'Hide," Lennox said, not even trying to hold back the tears anymore.

Ironhide then went limp, and his head tilted to the side as the blue of his optics dulled to a grey. Lennox stood there, his hand still on Ironhide's cheek until the warmth of life had been replaced by the feeling of cold, lifeless, steel. Eventually all was left was dust...

Will Lennox stood above the remains with his head hung low.

He could almost picture Annabelle sitting in the passenger's seat of that big black Ford truck, long blond hair and eyes that were the shade of a familiar azure...


End file.
